Afridi not in one-day squad

Kolkata, Dec. 10 -- The Pakistan Cricket Board announced its squads for the tour on Monday, dropping former skipper Shahid Afridi from the one-dayers. Afridi, who played in the Indian Premier League for the disbanded Deccan Chargers till the 26/11 Mumbai attacks following which all cricketing ties with Pakistan were cut off, will, be part of the two T20 matches.

While Mohammad Hafeez will lead the Pak T20 team, Misbah-ul-Haq will captain the one-day squad.

The first T20 match is in Bangalore on December 25 and the Pakistan squad will arrive there on December 22.

The second T20 match is in Ahmedabad after which the three one-day matches will be played. Chief selector Iqbal Qasim couldn't be reached for comments, but the Pak board's media manager Nadeem Sarawar told HT that Pakistani journalists asked the selectors in Lahore late on Monday evening why Afridi was kept in the T20 squad.

The media, it was learnt, wanted to know whether Afridi's retention in the T20 squad had anything to do with his turning down an offer to play in the Big Bash T20 series in Australia last month after the PCB cleared him.

Afridi, 32, was dropped in the third and final ODI against Australia in the UAE in August-September after he scored just 7 runs in two matches and managed just one wicket in 20 overs. That was the last ODI series Pakistan have played.

Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.

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